The present invention relates to an electrical connector. In particular, the present invention relates to a connector used in connecting electronic devices such as personal computers and the like.
In recent years, connectors termed universal serial bus (USB) connectors as shown in FIG. 5 have been used in computers. Because of component crowding in small space areas in computers and like devices, the connectors used are sometimes referred to as "small" or "miniature" connectors.
This connector comprises a connector socket 2A, which can be mounted onto a substrate of a printed circuit board 1A and the like, and a connector plug 3A, which is inserted into and connects to connector socket 2A. Connector socket 2A is equipped with a shield case 4A, which is constructed by bending and shaping a metal plate into a tube of rectangular section.
An insulated housing 6A, which supports four contact pins 5A side by side in the cross direction, is built into the inside of shield case 4A. The middle section of contact pin 5A is attached to the base of insulated housing 6A. Contact pin 5A has an external connection end 5a, which leads out from one end of shield case 4A. An end support part 6b is formed integrally on the top half of base 6a of insulated housing 6A. End support part 6b has approximately half of the vertical thickness of shield case 4A. A contact end 5b of contact pin 5A is supported by the lower surface of end support part 6b.
Connector plug 3A, which connects to connector socket 2A, also has a shield case 7A, which is a tube of rectangular section. Shield case 7A is insertable inside shield case 4A. A cavity 8A, which receives end support part 6b, is formed in the interior of a plug shield 7a of shield case 7A. A contact end 10a of a contacter 10A, which is supported by an end support part 9a of an insulated housing 9A, is positioned directly below cavity 8A.
However, in the "small" connector of the prior art as described above, a pair of locking tabs 11A, 11B are formed by cutting out and offsetting locking tab structure from both the top wall and bottom walls of shield case 4A. On the top wall and bottom wall of plug shield 7a, there are locking slots 12A, 12B, corresponding to locking tabs 11A, 11B. Connector plug 3A is locked into connector socket 2A by dropping locking tabs 11A, 11B into corresponding locking slots 12A, 12B. Furthermore, in this connector, in order to protect the interior of connector socket 2A and connector plug 3A from the effects of external magnetic fields and external electric fields, there are contact pieces 13A which are cut out and offset on the right and left side walls of connector socket 2A. The ends of contact pieces 13A are pressed against and contact the surface of the corresponding side walls of shield case 7A, and there is grounding between shield case 4A and shield case 7A.
In other words, in the connector described above, four locking tabs 11A, 11B and two contact pieces 13A are bent and shaped on the perimeter walls of shield case 4A of connector socket 2A. Locking tabs 11A, 11B and contact pieces 13A become a hindrance, and there is a limit to the degree of miniaturization possible with the connector.